LODGE AND DOCTORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17360, 6 January 1920, Page 6

LODGE AND DOCTORS.

' A NOVEL EXPERIMENT.

CONTRACT SYSTEM ABOLISHED.

REFUNDS MADE ON ACCOUNTS.

A revolutionary alteration of the friendly society system in regard to medical benefit has been adopted by one of the Oddfellows' lodges in Wellington, the Southern Cross Lodge of the Independent Order of New Zealand. Th.e system generally followed by _ benefit societies of contracting with medical men for attendance upon their members has been : bolished. In its stead a special medical fund has been created, to which each member contributes at the rate of £1 per annum, with 5s as an entrance fee to form the nuoleus of the fund.

Any member, in case of illness, is to be entitled to call in whatever medical roan he prefers, and, after payment of the doctor's account, to send it to the lodge, which will then vote him half the amount due, subject to a limitation of 10a 6d per visit in the doctor's fees. By this plan the distaste of members for dealing with doctors undef a cheap contract system is overcome, the lodge taking the risk of the amount of sickness instead of asking the medical profession to do so. In a circular issued to members the secretary of the lodge states that-as soon as possible the lodge will raise the amount of refund on doctors' accounts, and it is hoped that three-fourths, if not the whole, of the bills will be paid from the new fund.